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About IGCSE History
IGCSE History is a written subject built on two skills: knowing what happened and being able to argue about it from evidence. Students study depth studies and breadth studies, and they learn to read sources, judge them and write structured essays under time pressure.
The two boards treat the third component in opposite ways. Cambridge 0470 sets three components, and the third is a genuine choice: either a coursework assignment of one piece of extended writing, or a written Alternative to Coursework paper. Edexcel 4HI1 has no coursework and no choice. It is two papers only, and they are identical in shape — 1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks and 50% of the qualification each.
One detail about Cambridge is worth knowing early. In Paper 2, Document Questions, the prescribed topics change in each exam series. The source material is not fixed from one year to the next, so preparation has to cover the skill of handling sources rather than a single memorised topic. We practise this with real past papers. Both boards also ask students to make content choices. Cambridge students study Core content in either Option A, the nineteenth century, or Option B, the twentieth century. Edexcel students must study at least two depth studies and one historical investigation.
Who IGCSE History Is For
This course suits students who know the history but need help turning that knowledge into the kind of structured answers examiners reward.
- Students starting IGCSE History who need help turning knowledge into structured essays
- Candidates who lose marks on source questions and need a repeatable method for analysing documents
- Edexcel students unsure how to split revision time between two papers that carry equal weight
- Cambridge students deciding between the coursework route and the Alternative to Coursework paper
- Students targeting the top grades who need to sharpen argument, judgement and use of evidence
IGCSE History Exam Boards We Cover
The two boards could hardly be more different. Cambridge 0470 sets three components and lets the centre choose a coursework assignment or a written Alternative to Coursework for the third. Edexcel 4HI1 sets two papers only, identical in length and equal in weight, with no coursework at all. Cambridge grades A* to G, while Edexcel grades 9 to 1.
Cambridge
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 is not tiered, and all candidates take three components, for grades A* to G: Paper 1 and Paper 2, plus either Component 3 or Paper 4. Paper 1 is Structured Questions, an externally assessed paper of 2 hours carrying 60 marks and 40% of the qualification. Candidates answer two questions from Section A (Core content) and one question from Section B (Depth studies), and all questions are in the form of structured essays split into three parts: (a), (b) and (c). Paper 2 is Document Questions, an externally assessed paper of 1 hour 45 minutes carrying 40 marks and 30%. Candidates answer one question on one prescribed topic taken from Section A (Core content), and are presented with a range of source materials relating to each prescribed topic. The prescribed topics change in each exam series. The third component is a choice worth 30% and 40 marks. Component 3 is Coursework: candidates produce one piece of extended writing based on a depth study from the syllabus or a depth study devised by the centre, and it is internally assessed and externally moderated. Paper 4 is an Alternative to Coursework, a 1 hour externally assessed paper of 40 marks where candidates answer one question on a depth study, in the form of structured essays split into two parts: (a) and (b). All candidates study Core content in either Option A or Option B. Option A is The nineteenth century: the development of modern nation states, 1848–1914. Option B is The twentieth century: international relations since 1919.
Edexcel
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in History 4HI1 is not tiered, and sets two externally assessed written papers with no coursework. Paper 1 is Depth Studies, paper code 4HI1/01: a written examination of 1 hour 30 minutes carrying 60 marks and 50% of the qualification. Students must study at least two depth studies. Paper 2 is Investigation and Breadth Studies, paper code 4HI1/02: a written examination of 1 hour 30 minutes carrying 60 marks and 50% of the qualification. Students must study one historical investigation from a list that includes The origins and course of the First World War 1905–18, Russia and the Soviet Union 1905–24, The USA 1918–41, The Vietnam Conflict 1945–75 and East Germany 1958–90. Both papers are available in June and November, and both are available as a paper-based or onscreen assessment. The qualification is graded and certificated on a nine-grade scale from 9 to 1, and individual components are not graded.
How Centaurus Helps
Structured essay technique
Cambridge Paper 1 asks for structured essays split into three parts, (a), (b) and (c). We teach a reliable paragraph-by-paragraph frame for each part so answers do not run out of time.
Source and document skills
Cambridge Paper 2 presents a range of source materials, and the prescribed topics change in each exam series. We train students to interrogate unfamiliar sources rather than memorise known ones.
Coursework support
For Cambridge centres choosing Component 3, we help students plan, draft and refine the extended writing that makes up 30% of the qualification.
Balanced revision planning
Edexcel's two papers carry 50% each, so neither can be treated as the minor paper. We build a revision timetable that gives both equal attention.
Depth study mastery
Edexcel requires at least two depth studies, and Cambridge sets one question from Section B on Depth studies. We go deeper on the topics a student has actually chosen.
Timed practice under real conditions
Every paper is externally assessed and time-pressured. We run full past papers to the clock so the exam feels familiar.
Cambridge 0470 and Edexcel 4HI1 Compared
The clearest difference is choice. Cambridge lets a centre swap the third exam paper for coursework. Edexcel removes the choice entirely, but makes its two papers exactly equal.
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